Donald Trump Jr.’s email chain and the meeting that followed including Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort, provides evidence of Trump campaign collusion with the Russian government to win the presidential election of 2016.

This episode sinks us ever lower into the abyss of betrayal of our tattered democracy. Gleefully seeking “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, no matter what the source, the Trump trio was hoping to further degrade our electoral process with more character assassination.

Worse, of course, is the fact that colluding with the Russian government violates the sovereignty of American elections. Sovereign, democratic elections entail the principle only American citizens have the right to influence elections and campaigns should be transparent in their efforts to get candidates elected.

This meeting clearly violated those principles: a willingness to work with the Russian government to defeat Hillary Clinton and a clear attempt to keep this collusion secret.

Michael O’Loughlin

Salisbury

How long can Trump family retain GOP loyalty?

Our Trump apologists must be popping valium like candy. Can either one of them dismiss Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort in their efforts to subvert the election process — with Russian help — and still claim to be loyal Americans?

The excuse of ignorance about what they were doing being against the law is laughable. To excuse this as incompetence is acceptable, but then one must buy into the fact the president is equally guilty of perpetrating a great lie about “no Russian contacts.”

Junior admitted what he did. Senior said he would have done the same thing and applauded his son for transparency in releasing his emails.

How much more are Republicans willing to put up with this incompetent president and support his treasonous relationship with Vladimir Putin?

Worse to come will be proof the campaign worked with the Russians to target key voters to influence the election.

Contrary to what that great constitutional scholar, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, says, Donald Trump Jr. did not do anything which even remotely resembles treason, which is defined in the Constitution, Art. III, Sec. 3, Clause 1.

Kaine should read the Constitution, which he has sworn to uphold. Donald Jr. and the Trump campaign received nothing of value as a result of meeting with the Russian lawyer nut-case, so there is no possibility of a violation of campaign laws.

So where does that leave us? One could argue he exercised poor judgment, but that does not pass the muster, unless one’s only concern is “optics.”

Lawyers have to speak with scoundrels who may have information needed to aid their clients at trial. Reporters contact all kinds of dubious people to get their stories.

Trump Jr. was looking for information that might aid his father’s campaign by meeting with a Russian lawyer.

Since when did it become a crime for someone in a political campaign to meet with a scoundrel or a nut-case to obtain information?

Ernest I. Cornbrooks III

Salisbury

Trump Jr. was wrong and he knows it

Donald Trump Jr. absolutely was in the wrong — and he knows he was wrong.

The problem is, much like his father, he doesn’t care.

While his father commended him for his “transparency,” it was abundantly clear to anyone paying attention he was just being preemptive regarding the pending New York Times article.

While the perpetual spin machine cycles, Trump Jr. keeps attempting to blow this off as innocent, saying he was clueless about what could have been presented. Yet his father calls it “opposition research.”

Both are cut from the same narcissistic cloth and are doing and saying whatever they feel is necessary to dismiss this as more "fake news." Sadly for the American people, you still have a fair share of loyalists who are willing to defend them regardless of how inept and unethical they are.

This is a very intriguing situation. On the surface it would seem suspicious, especially when taken into the sum total of all other stories, innuendoes and rumors circulating.

However, when we look beneath the surface, we see a number of other intriguing facts. Looked at carefully, they may not lead in the direction of some salacious headlines.

This Russian lawyer got special permission from the Obama Justice Department and administration to enter America without a visa in December 2015 to stay for two months while acting as legal counsel for a Russian national. She has ties to Fusion GPS, the same DNC contracted agency responsible for the “golden showers” dossier.

She appeared with some Democratic officials during Congressional hearings.

She also overstayed her special permit by over six months.

So was this “meeting” a case of entrapment or some dirty work by Fusion GPS? I think there is too much protestation here.

Arie Klapholz

Ocean Pines

Whether burger or greasy “whopper,” something’s wrong here

Trump Jr. apparently did something wrong. The conservative alt-news sites excuse him, calling it a “nothing burger.” They don’t say he didn’t meet the Russians. They say his behavior is the forgivable mistake of a novice.

Mainstream media says, as a burger, it’s a greasy “whopper.” The smoke coming off the grill is visible — and it may burst into flames any moment.

Similar confidential offers were made to J.F.K. when he was running against Nixon, and to Al Gore running against George W. Bush. In both cases their campaigns turned the offers down and reported them.

Fortunately, today we continue to have a free press to safeguard us against unethical and illegal behavior. This, despite Trump family and alt-news attempts to discredit America’s mainstream news.

Trump Jr. may not be guilty of treason, but there is a good chance he committed a criminal act under campaign finance law.

This is only the beginning.

George Timothy Mason

Salisbury

Business deals are not like political affairs

I don't actually believe Trump Jr. thought he was doing anything wrong but anytime you want to obtain information from a major foreign power that has no love for this country, common sense would tell you that maybe you should notify someone (FBI, CIA, etc.). He even admits that he would have done things differently in hindsight.

Business deals and politics are entirely two different areas and his lack of expertise in politics really came through. Nothing has ever been off limits in the Trump family business dealings.

Donald Trump Jr. comes from a family who thinks they are above the law; they have no common decency or respect. It is all about becoming wealthy and taking advantage of the common laborer.

The people of this country are the losers in this unfortunate situation because nothing gets done because of the scandals.

Rose Carey

Delmar

Facts point toward a setup

The political atmosphere in the United States is a cesspool of abhorrent and unethical behavior. It is normal practice, unfortunately, to dig up dirt on opponents rather than run on merits.

The facts appear to lean toward a setup in this case. Allegedly, an attorney from Russia approached the Trump campaign with information about the opponent, Clinton.

This same attorney was denied entrance into the United States but granted “special” status by the U.S. Attorney, Loretta Lynch, who met with Bill Clinton in a secret meeting to discuss family (LOL). This same attorney was seen in the halls of Congress meeting with various officials and attending hearings.

Allegedly, the attorney has ties to the Democrats. In the meantime, the business of the people is faltering. Millions of dollars being spent on nothing, while the citizens suffer.

Every last elected bureaucrat should be fired and replaced with people who work for a living.